Electrically fired rocket projectile



. Patented Apr. 12, 1949 ELECTRICALLY FIRED ROCKET PROJ ECTILE Edward G. Uhl. Elizabeth, N. J., and Leslie A. Skinner, Washington, D. C., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of War Application September 22, 1943, Serial No. 503,410

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 4 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manu- 4i'actured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a rocket projectile, particularly to anelectrically fired rocket projectile.

It is an object of this invention to provide a rocket projectile having a propelling charge ignited by electrical means.

A further object of this invention is to Provide an improved supporting arrangement of the propellent charge within the rocket projectile.

The specic nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred em bodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view shown partly in longitudinal section of the electrically red rocket projectile.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective fragmentary view of the head of the projectile showing the front electrical contact ring.

Fig. 3 ls a side elevational view of the rocket propelling charge partly broken away to show the manner of mounting an electrically fired squib.

Fig. 4 is a left end view of Fig, 3.

Fig. 5 shows anA alternate construction of the electrically red squib.

Fig. 6 is a top elevational view of the propelling charge retaining ring.

There is shown in assembled relation in Fig. 1 a rocket projectile I embodying this invention. The rocket projectile I comprises a head 2 containing the explosive charge, a tubiular body portion 3 and a nozzle 4. The head 2 of rocket projectile I is provided with a conical ogive shaped end cap 5 welded or otherwise secured to the head 2 and a guiding land 24. An integral shank portion 6 isprovided on the rear end of head 2 which is inserted within one end of tube 3. A propellent charge containing tube 3 is secured to shank portion 6 in any suitable manner such as by the screws 1 spaced about the periphery of tube 3. An annular nozzle member 4 is secured to the extreme rear end of tube 3 as by threads 8. Nozzle member 4 denes an orifice 9 which opens to the rear of rocket projectile 1. Orifice 9 is of conventional Venturi construction as shown in Fig. 1 such as to form a gas blast from the gases developed by the propellant charge, the reaction force of which provides the propelling force for the projectile. A plurality of fins I0 are mounted about the periphery of nozzle 2 4. The iins I0 serve to stabilize the projectile in night.

A propulsion charge I4 (Figs. l, 3 and 4) comprising a bundle of powder sticks I5 securely fastened together as by several loops of wire or thread I6 is inserted Within tube 3. The bundle l5 is formed with a hollow central portion 29. A propellent charge retaining ring II (Figs. 1 and 6) is mounted on a pair of crossed rod supports I2. The rod supports I2 are placed between the threaded end of tube 3 and a shoulder I3 provided on the inside of nozzle member 4. When nozzle member 4 is screwed tightly against the rods I2, ring II will be securely supported and hence will retain propulsion charge -I4 within tube 3.

An electrically fired squib I1 is provided to ignite the propulsion charge I4. Two insulated electrical conducting wires I8 and I9 connect with squib I1 and are led thru the center of charge I4 and out thru orifice 9.

The wires I6 and I9 secure squib I1 against the left end of charge I4 as viewed in Figs. l and 3. The wire I9 is laid along the outside of nozzle 4 and tube 3 to the head 2 of rocket projectile I.

' The wire I 9 may be secured in place by a narrow strip of adhesive tape 20 placed over wire I9. The wire I9 terminates approximately in the center of head .2 and at this point is soldered to a thin strip of metal 2| of high electrical conductivity. The strip 2l extends forwardly of head 2 and connects with a contact ring 22 of the same metal. The strip 2l is laid adjacent head 2 within a tube 25 of suitable insulating material' shown in exaggerated size in Fig. 2.

The contact ring 22 is mounted snugly on the conical end cap 5 of head2. An intermediate layer of insulation 28 insulates ring 22 from head .2. The other wire I6 is soldered to the bottom of a V-shaped contact notch 26 provided in one of fins I0.

A cartridge type electrical squib 21 as shown in Fig. 5 may alternately be employed to ignite powder charge I4. Such a squib comprises a headed metallic case 21 which is inserted in the left end of the hollow portion 29 of the bundle of powder sticks I5 as shown in Fig. 5. The interior construction of squib 21 is conventional and igniting wires -I8 and I9 project out of case 21.

The rocket projectile I is readily launched by ignition of propulsion charge I4 by application of an electrical voltage between contact ring 22 and contact notch 26. Due to the location of squib I'I within the hollow portion of charge I4 all of the interior surfaces of powder sticks I6 are ignited, thereby producing very efficient combus- 3 tion of the propulsion charge. The gases generated are formed into a blast by orifice 9 and the reaction forces of the gas blast propel the rocket projectile i in its night.

It will he noted that the open structure of the retaining ring li does not appreciably interfere with the gases generated and yet retains the propulsion charge i4 within tube 3 until completely burned.

Thus the structure of this invention permits rapid assemblage of the propellent charge Within a rocket projectile and provides positive ignition and efficient combustion of the charge.

We claim:

1. In a rocket projectile, a hollow body portion, a self -contained propulsion charge insertablc said body portion, means for retaining said charge within said body portion, an electrical squib mounted adjacent said charge, a pair of electrical contact surfaces on the peripheryA of the rocket projectile, at least one of said Contact surfaces beine.r insulated with respect to the rocket projectile, and electrical conductors connecting each of said contact surfaces to said electrical souib.

2. In a rocket projectile, a hollow body portion, a sali-contained propulsion charge insertable in said body portion, a hollow nned member attachable to the rear of said body portion, a charge retaining ring, said ring being mounted between said body portion and said nned member, an electrical squib mounted adjacent said charge, a pair of electrical contact surfaces on the periphery of the rocket projectile, at least one of said contact surfacesbeing insulated with respect to the rocket projectile, and electrical conductors connecting each of said contact surfaces to said electrical squib.

3. In a rocket projectile, a hollow body poraccepta tion, a. self-contained propulsion charge insertable in' said body portion, means for retaining said charge within said body portion, an electrical squib mounted adjacent said charge, aV contact ring mounted around the periphery of the rocket projectile and insulated therefrom, a. rst squib wire connecting to said contact ring and a second squib wire connecting tothe periphery of the rocket projectile.

4. In a rocket projectile, a hollow body portion, a self-contained propulsion charge insertable in said body portion, saidr charge comprising a substantially cylindrical bundle of powder sticks, said sticks being secured together to form an axial cavity extending thru said bundle, means for retaining said charge within said body portion, an electrical squib mounted within said axial cavity of said powder charge, a pair of electrical contact surfaces on the periphery of the rocket projectile, at least one of said contact surfaces being in sulated with respect to the rocket projectile, and electrical conductors connecting each of said contact surfaces to said electrical squib.

EDWARD G. UHL. LESL'IE A. SKINNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 327,380 Chambers Sept. 29, 1885 1,360,602 Van Deuren Nov. 20, i920 2,145,507 Denox Jan. 31, 1939 FOREIGN PAI'ENTS Number Country Date 331,496 France June 7, i938 

